Internships and Volunteering
Despite the image of a university as an "ivory tower," there is a symbiotic relationship between what you study in the classroom and its practice in the "real world." Your academic concerns fuel your interest in their practical implications, and the practical experience you gain through outside projects helps refine, refocus, and deepen your study in the classroom. Depending on your interests, there are numerous options for taking your intellectual concerns outside the classroom.
Internships
Many students believe that they should get internships solely because of the work experience they provide. However, internships can also be great ways for students to explore new environments, link their studies to real-world problems, pursue independent research, and develop ideas for projects such as senior theses.
With some planning ahead, any work experience can be reconceived as an internship. Talk to your departmental and College Advisers for some suggestions about this and about how an internship can further your academic interests and goals.
Next steps
- Read about doing internships for credit and about non-credit internships.
- Talk with staff at Northwestern Career Advancement about internship options.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a worthwhile and enriching experience that provides an opportunity to become a part of a community, to help those in need, and to learn and practice skills of your own. It can be as meaningful to you as it is to those you help.
Volunteering can also give your academic work palpable form by letting you explore options for your future and can prepare you for your post-Northwestern career. Someone studying economics and gender could link up with a shelter for battered women. A student who wants to be a doctor could volunteer at a hospital or with a group planning a walk to raise money for cancer research. A student writing a thesis about racial identity in literature could volunteer with a minority advocacy group.
Next steps
- Find a volunteer opportunity that fits your interests. The Norris Center for Student Involvement helps promote Northwestern students' involvement in community agencies in Evanston and Chicagoland. The student-run Northwestern Community Development Corps provides lists of service organizations grouped by focus; they also provide names and contact information for Northwestern students familiar with the organization and its work.
Weinberg students interested in community service can pursue a certificate in Civic Engagement through the School of Education and Social Policy. Volunteer service at approved sites is a key component of certificate requirements.
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